Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.

Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder

Aspen Ideas: Health to Return in June 2026, Program Tracks Announced

Hear from the top minds and leaders in health care, policy, business, and innovation in beautiful Aspen, Colorado. Media invited to apply for free credentials.

Aspen, CO, January 12, 2026 – Aspen Ideas: Health, the Aspen Institute’s premiere health event, will return this June 22-25, 2026, as innovators in health, medicine, and science convene for the event’s 13th year. As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, this year’s event will celebrate the pursuit of progress that lies at the heart of the American experiment and the role of health and well-being in forming a more perfect union. Over 150 leading voices will discuss intersectional approaches to today’s biggest health challenges and explore the promising transformations that lie ahead.

Speakers to be announced in the coming months. 

2026 Program Tracks

These key themes will guide the programming of the event’s 60 sessions, including one-on-one interviews, expert panels, live podcasts, and book talks. Learn more here.

  • We the Patients: An optimal healthcare system centers patients’ needs and lived experiences, as empowered individuals and advancing technologies– from genomics to AI–transform care, while still addressing concerns around ethics, privacy, and equitable access.
  • NextGen Health: The future is now. Once science fiction, breakthroughs including nanotechnology, gene editing, space medicine, cancer vaccines, and digital twins are today’s reality. What game-changing innovations are next and who’s leading the way?
  • Vitality Lab: People are living longer thanks to both good habits and medical advancements. While  experiments with “biohacking” are trending, what does it really take to create a shared blueprint for vitality that balances lifespan with healthspan and tackles the structural and economic challenges of an aging society?
  • Creative Rx: More and more evidence illustrates the truth that creativity is critical to wellbeing. Music easing dementia, art assisting with trauma, and the healing potential of architecture paint the picture that by centering design and the arts in our communities, we expand connections, cultivate communication, and build on the power of awe.
  • Medical Enterprise 2.0: A thriving health system depends on private-sector talent, capital, and innovation to advance therapeutics, fund experimentation, and safely integrate AI in medicine. In partnership with nonprofits, government, and academia, business can strengthen the healthcare workforce and shape the policies needed to unlock the American medical enterprise’s full potential.
  • Gray Matters: Health does not operate in a black or white binary. Surprising findings, policy tensions, ethics, and economic realities force compromise and raise countless questions. Uncertainty is inevitable in these debates but the shared goal of improved health outcomes for all can guide the conversation.
  • Future-Ready Leadership: As courageous thinkers and strategic stewards, today’s health leaders are overhauling systems, safeguarding the public, transforming medical education, and putting data to work in extraordinary new ways. How are they navigating today’s challenges, from climate change to the trust deficit, to build a better future for all?

Aspen Ideas: Health is the opening segment of the Aspen Ideas Festival, the Aspen Institute’s annual nonpartisan flagship event which gathers leaders and thinkers from around the globe to discuss the ideas that will shape tomorrow and help us understand today.

FOR MEDIA: Journalists interested in attending Aspen Ideas: Health are invited to apply for press credentials here.

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The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.